Life-saving net.



M. UNGR.

LIFE SAVING NET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30l 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

aff:

zevdeax I I STATES PATENT OFFICE;

Liunirrnvnire-[A3, or CHICAGO, rLLINoIs.

LIFE-SAVING NET.

To all whom. t may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN UNGR, a subject ofthe Emperorrof Austria-Hungary, residing at 1537 Haddon avenue, Chi- `cago, .in the lcounty of-Cook and State of Illinois,l have invented new and usefull Improvements in Life-Saving Nets, of which the following is a specification.

My'present invention relates to life saving nets in which a suitable support is prolvided to rest u` on the ground and which carries a nety a apted to form a safe landing for a person, or personsI escaping Yfrom burning buildings or places of danger by descending through the open.

The objects of my invention are, to provide a support whichv may be drawn togetherin or er to provide a compact structure when not in use; to so constructthe base structure that the suddenly applled loads subjected thereto are taken up by truss-like members which are ever ri id and conseq uentlycannohbecomc dis ocated in the i folding ofl ythe device; to

Ameans adapted to` take up the lmpact rey -sulting from the, contact of the fallmg perprovide a spring son with the. nt, and to 'provide a sup lementary net below the main net as a iilal resort or providing a safe landing for the person orv persons alling.

Further objects of myy invention `will be pointed `out in the following 'detailed description, taken in connect-ion with the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Flgure 1 isa side elevation of my invention. Fig.2 is a top planview of the same closed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device as shown ih Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view 'to Fig. 3, the device being extended. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a coupling means.

Si .'lar characters throughoutthe views.

Generally, my invention comprises a base structurev 6 which forms a support for nets 7 and 8, the. former of which nets lis adapted lto give through suitable spring action, while the latter is asupplementary refer to similar parts net rigidly secured to the base structure.

The base structure 6 is made up of a plurality of U-shaped structures 9 held together by lazy-tong levers 10, which permit -the v base structure to be extended or -drawn to gether to form a compact article when not 1nuse.wv "1..

The U-shapedV structures 9 are preferably l eachstructure may be Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 26,l 1912. Application tiled 'June 30, 1911. Serial No. 636,259. i

crownresting upon the member 11 and its' ends secured to the uprights 12, thus -r'eslsting inward movement of the members 12 by transmission of the forces' tothe base` a tie-rod 14:l resisting demember 11, and flection of the base member '11. The uprights 12 are secured to the base member 11 by angle clips 15.

The base member is provided lwith a plurality Iof casters 16, preferably of the ball-bearing type, by which the apparatus may be drawn from place to place. To facilitate such movement, rings 17 are secured to the base structure which provide a fastening means for ropes, chains or the harness of horses. A handle 18 is also secured at both sides of the structure to provide convenient meansfor extending the sections or closing the same. v

The pivot means 19 of the upper ends of' 4the lazy-tong levers work in guide slots 20 of the upright-s 9, the end levers being provided with thumb nuts 21 by which the base may be held in an extended orcontracted position. J, A

As a resilient connection between the net 7 and the base structurev 6, each section 9 is provided with sheaves 22, carried at. the upper end of theuprights 12 thereof, over each of which is trained a 'rope or vcable 28, secured at one end to the netv7 at the eye 24, and at the other end to the eye terminal.

of a plunger 25. This plunger 25 works in a U-shaped bracket 26 and confines a. compression spring 27 between the collar 28 of the plun er and the upper leg of the bracket`26. y this construction it will' be seenthat the .impact upon the net is taken up by the springs 27.

he nets may be reinforced transversely, and longitudinally by strips as indicated v at 29 and 3Q respectively.

The net 8 is secured tothe rframe struc-l ture by ropes as shown at 31 and forms a net' supplementing the net 7 after the latter has taken up the greater part of the force subjected to the structure. Y v

-As a means for forming a relativel long net surface, asmight be required where a building of considerable length is on fire,

providedwith a -coupling Ineanswherebya number of structures* may be rigidly held together in alinement.

This coupling means comprising a hook. 32 pivoted within the end upright channels 12 at one side and'which'is adapted to engage a pin 33 carried by the complementary side.

vFrom the above' description it is made manitestl that I provide a life saving net which maybe readily conveyed to places of danger; that when extended, forms a rigid structure capable of'with'standing the forces subjected thereto; that may be'constructed to a compact structure in order to occupy a minimum space when not in use, Iand an arrangement whereby a number of structures may be coupled to form arigid support for a relatively long net surface.

vI claim:

1. A'life savingl net comprising in combi"- nation, a plurality of U-shaped structures, a

sheave carried at the upper end of each of 5 said U-.shaped structures, a net, and means torming reslllent connections between eachl ofv said Ulshaped structures and said net,

` pression spring confined between said collarandv said bracket, and alliexible connection` between, said plunger and said net,. and

`nation, a plurality of U-shaped structures', a fshe'ave carried at' the upper end of each of said U-shaped structures,'a net, means forming a resilient connection between each of said Ufshaped .structures and said net and Aincludinga Abracket carried by each of saidV U-shaped structures, a plunger directed by said bracket and having a collar, a comtrained over saidsheave to direct the plunger in the line of -pull of saidlconneetion, and means for retainingv said U-shaped structures in closeproximity` to each other with the said net in a folded position, or for separating and retaining said structures one fromanother to draw the said net.

3. A life saving net comprising, a base including aplurality of U-shaped structures each structure being rigidly formed and ar-A ranged in parallel alined relation to each other with respect to their planes, a net carried by said base adjacent to the upper ends of said Urshaped structures, lazy-tong levers operatively connected to said U-shaped structures for positioning the'same in rela-` tive close proximity, with SaidV net in a A folded position yto contract thebase, or `for separating said -U-shaped structures one from another for eXpand-ingthevbase and drawing the net, and means for retaining said base in a contracted or expanded position, combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l t

4. In a life saving net, the combination with a base structure and a nettherefor, of means, forming a resilient connection betweenrsaid base structure and net,'including bracket rigidlyv secured to said base strueture, aplunger guided by said bracket, a

-flexible connection between said net and plunger and trained over said slleave to di.- rect the line of pull upon said flexible connection subjected to forces acting upon said net, and resilient means for normally retaining said plunger in a position permittingmovement thereof subject to pull -upon said flexible connection 'to yieldably counteracti the forces upon said net.

In testimony whereof'I aliix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

v MARTIN UNerR.4 Witnesses IRWIN D. GROAK, VIRWIN NEWMAN. l

-a sheave carried by saidvbase structure, a

Copies of this patent may tbe obtained for 'vevee'nts each', by addressing' the Commissioner vof Patents,A

' Washington, D. G. 

